The Bear in The Shining

The bear existed in the original novel, but as a dog. In the movie, there are several scenes in which Danny is surrounded by bears. When he speaks to a therapist, he's laying on a bear pillow. At the hotel, there is a picture of bears above Danny's bed. And, the lobby sports a bear skin rug. All of this is supposed to tie in the concept that Danny is the bear, and the hotel is showing Wendy that Danny has been the victim of incest. In fact, at one point Jack is reading a Playgirl magazine that has a teaser for an article about incest on the cover.

There's also that whole thing with Room 237 and the female ghost that inhabits the room. Jack's experience in the room helps him see what he's done to Danny, as he imagines himself as a rotting old woman and he, himself, becomes Danny and his feelings of disgust and repulsion. Danny's experience in that room is him externalizing the torment.